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Monday, October 17, 2011

Billy the Kid's Language Lesson

October 19, 2011

Sometimes we get delayed reactions to articles and features that ran months ago. Got this late last week on an article that ran in June:

The Language Lesson Taught By Billy the KidI liked your illustrated story of the Kid in “the Language Lesson” in a recent True West magazine. I have been fascinated by Billy the Kid since I was a boy growing up in New Mexico. There are so many books and articles about him. I know much is myth. But, I was wondering if the events in the “Language Lesson” are based on true accounts or if they are just good fiction? Was Billy being taken to Las Vegas in a stagecoach after an arrest? Was he left inside with a young woman? And, was he really ordered out of the coach in just his long underwear by three desparados?

I can easily believe that the three bandits would not have expected to be gunned down by a young boy wearing only his unionsuit and boots and having a hidden gun stored in his hat! I know this could have happened but just wondering if it did.

Thanks for an enjoyable magazine.

—R. E. Corlis

Randall,As I believe I mentioned in my editorial of that issue, I saw the "gat in the hat" deal in the Socorro Courthouse (told by Elfego Baca of all people) and the rest is totally made up by me. I was riffing on the fact that Billy spent quite a bit of time at Anton Chico and Las Vegas and the idea of him riding a stage to go see a lawyer has some merit. As for the young lady, we know Billy "improved a bumpy ride" for more than one querida (girlfriend). Ha.

Glad you enjoyed it. I see it as the opening to a movie about the Kid in the last year of his life. Stay tuned.

—BBB

By the way, it was this graphic cinema that evoked the Sonoita cowboy remark, "What's with the Mexican comic strip?"

One of my quests for this past week's road trip across New Mexico was to see the land north of Anton Chico, which is where I placed the attempted stage coach robbery. I was relieved to see that my skyline for Anton Chico was quite accurate (whew!), but I made mental notes from there north about the long mesas and cottonwood choked streambeds of the upper Pecos, which of course traverses the famed Santa Fe Trail. All this for Part II of "The Language Lesson."

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About Me

Bob Boze Bell's work has appeared in Arizona Highways, Playboy, National Lampoon, the Arizona Republic and True West magazine.
For ten years (2002-20012) he did a video version of True West Moments which ran on the Westerns Channel.
BBB can currently be seen on the series "Gunslingers" which runs on the American Heroes Channel.
Triple B is also the President and executive editor of True West magazine, positions he has held since 1999.
He has written a dozen books on Old West characters like Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Wild Bill Hickok and a three-part series (so far) on Classic Gunfights which appear in True West. These popular, heavily illustrated books have sold over 90,000 copies, so far.
In 2014 he published a visual memoir of growing up on Route 66 called "The 66 Kid," and he is currently working on a bio of Geronimo.
As for retirement, BBB says, "Work is only work if you'd rather be someplace else. And I'm exactly where I want to be."